War of the Roses
by Dumas1
Summary: A new student has transferred to Ohtori, bearing a crimson ring. What does this mean for the Council? ABANDONED Unfinished
1. A Matter of Rings

**War of the Roses**

Chapter I: A Matter of Rings

Disclaimer: I do not own Revolutionary Girl Utena, the works of Alexander Dumas, or anything else I draw names, quotes, etc. from. They are the property of their respective copyright owners…though quite a few of them should be public domain by now.

'Class, we have a new student joining us this semester. He has just arrived from France, so I hope you will overlook any mistakes he makes with our language. I'll let him introduce himself.' The teacher stepped aside and gestured for the new student to enter. A cane's measured click preceded the young man.

'Good morning. I am Edouard de la Fère; pleased to meet you,' he said in a quiet voice. His Japanese was roughly accented, but the words came smoothly. He bowed to the class with his cane tucked under his arm. He wore a crisp military uniform of an old design; its stark black was relieved only by a pair of red aiguillettes at his right shoulder, red stripes down the sleeves and pants, and gold braid at the cuffs. A single gold pip embossed with a rapier shone on the high, stiff collar. The cane appeared to be ebony with an iron-shod tip and black leather-bound grip. Knee-high boots with rolled tops completed the appearance of a courtier from another era. What caught the eyes of the students in the front rows, however, was the ring he wore on the middle finger of his right hand: a red stone carved with a large-petaled flower set on a broad silver band.

The man wearing this ring was equally remarkable. Flowing hair the color of so-called 'black' tea stopped short of his shoulders, framing a clean-shaven face with prominent cheekbones. Piercing hazel eyes and thin lips gave this long oval face a somewhat grim aspect, an impression only enhanced by the Frenchman's dress and stiff carriage. A natural pallor and high, straight nose combined with his fine, long-fingered hands to lend de la Fère a nobility of countenance that few could ignore. The effect was marred only by his height: fully half of his classmates were tall enough to look down into his eyes.

The teacher cleared his throat and pointed to an empty desk beside the windows to his right. 'Please take your seat, Mr. de la Fère. Welcome to high school, everyone. I am Asako Genjo [1], your homeroom teacher this year. As tenth graders, you are beginning what may be the final stage of our education [2]. One of you may even sit on the Student Council someday. I hope you make the most of your final years at Ohtori Academy.'

De la Fère noted a fierce and eager gleam in the eyes of a few around him–and not a few glances at his ring–when the teacher mentioned the Student Council. Asako continued, 'Now, we will be studying trigonometry this semester. Please open your books to chapter one and we will begin.'

Sines, cosines, and tangents spun through de la Fère's head until his brain ceased struggling to understand the numbers involved and instead blindly copied down formulae. He barely noticed when the relatively young math teacher was replaced by a leather-faced old man. The new teacher's blue eyes marked him as a foreigner, though such indicators were unreliable at best at Ohtori. He introduced himself in a dry rasp, 'Good morning, students. I am Luigi Vampa [3], and I shall be your instructor in European History this year. We shall study the period from the Renaissance through the events of this century. We begin in Italy in 1300…'

The old Italian's voice restored life to de la Fère's eyes. He took notes and asked questions with more animation than he had displayed thus far. After a protracted digression on the feasibility of unifying Italy at that time [4], Vampa apologized to the class and invited the Frenchman to continue the discussion in his office. The bell rang as the student bowed acceptance.

The next class was chemistry, taught by a stern-faced, heavy-set man who introduced himself as Shiba Yoma [5]. He delivered a dry lecture on atomic theory that de la Fère paid only half a mind to. The other half puzzled over his classmates' reaction to his ring. If he had been wearing it on his ringer finger, he would have dismissed it as curiosity, since marriage at his age was extremely rare. However, he noted that several other students also wore rings, mostly plain gold or silver bands, which made the attention paid to his own all the more curious.

As soon as the door closed behind the chemistry teacher at the end of the period, the students pulled lacquered lunch boxes from their bags and gathered around friends' desks. De la Fère and a few other students left to eat elsewhere.

The young Frenchman made his way to an open lawn he had seen on his way to class. He drew a large black cloak from his bag and laid it on the ground as a sort of picnic blanket. An insulated pocket of the same bag yielded a Thermos of clam chowder, a pair of croissants stuffed with ham and cheese, and a bottle of water. He was just finishing the last of his soups when a second student approached. The newcomer wore the standard Ohtori boys' uniform: a teal high-necked jacket and pants of the same colour with black trim on both. Thick round glasses flashed in the sun as he handed a small white envelope to the Frenchman. The missive was sealed by a disk of red wax marked with a rose. The spidery script ran thus:

_Your presence is requested at the Student Council meeting at 4:30 this afternoon in the Rose Garden._

_Kiryuu Touga_

_President_

'Tell Monsieur le President that I shall be there at the appointed time.' De la Fère slipped the paper into his bag and resumed his meal as the other student turned to leave. 'Wait! I forgot to ask you: where is the Rose Garden?'

'Have you seen a small greenhouse on campus? The one that's hard to see into?' De la Fère nodded. The messenger continued, 'That's the Rose Garden.'

******************

The Rose Garden was indeed a small greenhouse, though its interior was somewhat larger than one would have expected from outside. The walls were lined with waist-high rose bushes blooming in every conceivable colour, even blue and green. An oval wrought-iron table stood in the center of the Garden. Its top was a dense weave of roses and leaves, while its single leg was wrought in the form of three twining thornless stems. Of the four seats facing the door, three were taken: the one on the far left (as one entered) held a hard-faced green haired youth. Beside him was a blue-eyed red-haired boy of the same age. On the far right sat a much younger blue-haired boy with large innocent eyes. All three wore red-and-gold trimmed white jackets cut in roughly the same style as De la Fère's; the elder boys had fringeless, rectangular red and gold epaulettes. The youngest had simple gold-bordered red straps over his shoulders. Each wore pants the same colour as his hair and a looped cord at his shoulder to match.

'You better have a good reason for calling us like this, Touga. If this is one of your jokes…'the door opened to admit the dangling threat as well as the young woman who had uttered it. Rich orange curls framed her stern blue-eyed face, with its sharp, low-bridged nose and strong chin. Her jacket bore fringed round epaulettes in contrast to her colleagues' squared ones. Tight-fitting orange pants completed her garb. Like the other four, she wore a silver ring set with a red stone engraved with a rose.

The youth she addressed brushed his long, flowing red hair from his face before replying lazily, 'It seems End of the World has a longer reach than we thought, Juri. A student informed me today that a Duelist has just arrived from France.'

Juri raised an eyebrow at this intelligence, but said nothing as she took her seat at Touga's left. As she did so, the door opened to admit the young man Touga had alluded to. He bowed deeply to the seated Council and inquired of the red-haired boy facing the door, 'President Kiryuu, I presume? I would like to know why I have been summoned here this afternoon.'

The President rose and beckoned to a teal-uniformed student standing beside a bush of cream-coloured roses. De la Fère recognized him as the messenger who had interrupted his meal earlier. 'Is he the one?' At the messenger's nod, Touga dismissed him 'Thank you; you may go now, Hachi. I will answer your question in a moment, but we are still waiting for someone who will be very interested in what we have to discuss. Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the Council in the meantime. To my right is Vice-President Saionji Kyouichi….' Proud green eyes glared through long wavy locks at the purported Duelist.

'To my left is Arisugawa Juri, Captain of the fencing club….' This was the acid-tongued lady in white and orange.

'And finally, Kaoru Miki, an accomplished pianist and fencer despite his youth.' Miki was the youngest member of the Council, being only in the seventh grade. De la Fère gave a polite bow as each was named.

'Ah! The final party to our discussion has arrived. Allow me to present Tenjou Utena.' The new arrival was a blue-eyed girl an inch or two shorter than de la Fère. Light pink hair rested on the shoulder of her high-collared dark navy jacket. Wide white cuffs, red trim, and brass buttons adorned this garment that flared over tight red shorts. She stood beside de la Fère, as curious as he was at his presence at a meeting of the Student Council. 'Now, you know who we are. Please introduce yourself.'

The black-clad young man bowed again to the council. 'I am Edouard de la Fère. And I ask again: why have I been summoned?'

A faint smile pulled at Touga's lips at the name; Juri unconsciously mirrored him. Saionji demanded, 'What's so funny about that name?'

Touga whispered the reason into his friend's ear. Instantly, the green-haired youth sneered and asked, 'So when do you plan to challenge Ms. Tenjou for the Rose Bride, Count?'

'Monsieur le Vice-President, you are mistaken. My family has never had any title of nobility, much less that of Count. In any event, I would be no more than Viscount since my father is still alive. As for the Rose Bride, I do not duel for any reason besides an insult to my honour,' the Frenchman responded coolly, though not without some strain in his voice.

'So, I see that Tenjou's reputation has gotten as far as France, then, as you fear to duel her.'

'There is no cowardice in living by the dictates of honour. I duel no one, Monsieur Saionji, who gives me no offence. Moreover, no honourable man would claim a bride from another by force of arms.'

'So the coward hides behind "honour!"''

'Enough!' cried Touga. The two men grudgingly yielded to his authority as he declared, 'You are a Duelist of the Rose Seal, are you not? Then you will duel for the Rose Bride with End of the World instructs you to.'

'Rose Seal?' De la Fère blinked in confusion.

'That ring on your finger. It is carved with a rose, isn't it?' Saionji asked sarcastically. The Frenchman laughed.

'Ah, your witness must be mistaken, Monsieur le President. My sigil is a gardenia, not a rose.' Saying this, he pulled off the ring and set it on the table for examination.

'This does appear different from our rings, but I cannot say definitively that it is not a Rose,' Touga declared after several minutes of hushed debate. His eyes fell on a hitherto silent, and thus overlooked, auditor. He called imperiously, 'Himemiya, you're the expert on roses. Tell us what you think of this.

'By the way, this is Himemiya Anthy, the Rose Bride. She is currently engaged to Ms. Tenjou.'

A dark-skinned girl in the standard Ohtori girls' uniform–puffy-shouldered white shirt, green kerchief, and teal miniskirt–took the ring from Touga and stated after a glance, 'This is not a Rose Seal. He is not a Duelist chosen by End of the World.'

She returned the ring to de la Fère and took her place by Utena's side, her dark violet hair and dark skin forming an odd contrast to the other girl's pink locks and pallor. A dark dot stood in the center of her forehead, leading de la Fère to think she was Indian. The Frenchman replaced the ring on his finger and bowed to the council. 'With your leave, Monsieur le President, I believe that is all you want of me?'

Touga made a gesture of dismissal, and the other man turned to leave. However, Saionji called him back with a haughty command. 'Wait, "Count!" I would like to know why you call yourself "de la Fère."'

The other man stiffened and turned slowly, gripping his cane with white knuckles. He delivered his reply in a voice colder than the Ninth Ring and as pitiless [6]. 'I was born with this name, Monsieur, as was every child born to my family for fifteen generations and more.'

Touga laid a hand on his friend's arm in an attempt to restrain him, but Saionji shook him off, intent on provoking the gaijin [7]. 'Bah! I say you're nothing more than a bastard who has laid claim to a fictional name because he has no father to give him a real one.'

De la Fère made no answer in words, but silently pulled a jacket from his pocket and slapped the green-haired youth. 'I may not be a Duelist of the Rose Seal, but I shall not endure such an insult from any living man or woman. I challenge you to a duel, Saionji Kyouichi!'

Saionji stared at the glove in shock. He looked to Touga for support, but the President merely shrugged, as if to say that the situation was beyond his control and that his friend had brought it on himself. Saionji flushed and snatched up the glove, face contorted horribly. 'I accept your challenge, and I shall make you regret issuing it.'

De la Fère bowed coolly, his face an unreadable mask. 'As the challenged party, you have the right to name the weapons to be used as well as the time and place.'

'I name swords.' Saionji lifted his sheathed katana from where it had rested under the table. 'W will duel in this garden as soon as you return with a sword. You will return, won't you?' Without allowing his opponent to answer, he continued, 'We shall duel by the Laws of the Rose Seal: the first to lose his rose loses the duel. Himemiya, prepare us!'

The dark girl silently plucked a green rose and fixed it to the Vice-president's breast pocket. She hesitated a moment before choosing a vermilion bloom for the Frenchman. When she was done, the green-haired youth asked, 'Aren't you going to find a sword?'

'I am armed well enough for a contest such as this. I do not need to draw blood, after all.' De la Fère tapped his cane against the toe of his boot and assumed a fencer's stance.

Both duelists took up positions at opposite sides of the Garden. The others watched from the table, with Utena taking Saionji's seat.  Saionji threw aside his scabbard and flew at the Frenchman with sword held high for a killing blow. De la Fère stepped to one side to let him pass, cane held low to trip his foe. Saionji slid face first into a particularly thorny bush of pink roses. He rose to his feet with his rose intact, his face a demonic mask.

He rushed his opponent, slashing wildly at his abdomen. Folded steel met black wood with a deadened ring. The two stood locked together for several seconds, neither one willing to retreat. At length, Saionji pulled his sword out of the cane and retreated a step. The Frenchman took the offensive, feinting at his opponent's rose. Saionji moved to parry, but the cane's iron tip shifted in mid-lunge to thrust into his diaphragm. As he collapsed, gasping for air, de la Fère casually flipped the rose off his chest. He declared coldly as he wiped his face with a handkerchief, 'If we ever have occasion to duel again, Monsieur le Vice-President, it will be for blood.'

He bowed to the council once more, then turned on his heel and departed. Utena and Himemiya followed him out, but left without a word to him. Juri came out as he stood outside the Garden pondering the shortest path to his rooms. 'Did you come to avenge your friend?' he asked.

'No,' she snapped. 'The fool deserved what he got. I just wanted to ask if you were from Orléans'

De la Fère's head snapped around to peer intently at the young woman. He replied warily, 'I am. Why do you ask?'

'I have a friend who is convalescing at a hospital there. He mentioned a fencing school in the city that shares your name.'

The Frenchman smiled with the glow of familial pride. 'My family has run that school for almost as long as we've had our name.' He frowned in concentration for a moment. 'Is your friend named Tsuchiya Ruka?' She nodded. 'A student of that name showed up at the school a few months before I left. My father says he's as good as some fencers who've been training for decades.'

'May I ask why you're in Japan?'

De la Fère coughed into his hand. 'My uncle came here with a few students of his to open a school in Kyoto. My parents thought it would do me good to travel. They've enrolled me at Ohtori because of its reputation for swordsmanship.' Throughout the interview, the Frenchman had been toying with his cane in the manner of one seeking some excuse to leave, yet was unwilling to end the conversation abruptly.

'As Touga said, I'm Captain of the fencing team. We meet in the East gym every afternoon.'

'I will be there tomorrow, Mademoiselle Arisugawa; or should I say, Mon Capitaine? If you will excuse me now, I must see to my quarters. I arrived only last night and I have not had time to properly unpack.' With this, he bowed deeply to Juri and left.

Notes: The websites I post my fics on refuse to recognize superscripts, so I'm forced to resort to numbering my notes with brackets I hope they don't interrupt the flow of the story too much.

1) Asako Genjo is the title of a card from the Legend of the Five Rings (Lo5R) card game. More specifically, a personality card, which represents a person in the world of Lo5R. It's set in a pseudo-Feudal Japan where clans battle with the forces of darkness (and each other). Titles of personality cards from this game will provide the majority of my non-canon Japanese names. They follow the Japanese convention of placing the surname first, as will I in the case of Japanese characters. Whether the names are gibberish or not is another matter entirely.

2) According to a Japanese acquaintance of my family (and what I've read on the matter), high school starts in 10th grade in that country. Just as in the States, some do not continue on to college for one reason or another.

3) Luigi Vampa is the name of a bandit who plays a minor role in Alexandre Dumas' _The Count of Monte Cristo_.

4) Italy was not a unified country until about 1860.

5) Shiba Yoma is another personality from the Lo5R game. He's one of my favourite units in my deck.

6) According the Dante's _Divine Comedy_ (the part more commonly known as the _Inferno_), the Ninth and lowest Ring of Hell contained the frozen river Cocytus, which imprisoned traitors and Satan himself. The Archfiend chews on Judas Iscariot, Brutus, and Cassius (the ones who assassinated Julius Caesar) with each of his three mouths.

7) Gaijin is the Japanese word for foreigner. It's a bit more loaded than the English equivalent from what I understand.

General: There is a reason behind my choice of de la Fère as a name (and Orléans as his native city), though revealing them would spoil a couple of significant plot points from _The Three Musketeers_. However, I can say that Edouard is the name of M. de Villefort's son from _The Count of Monte Cristo _and has no relation to the rest of his name. I would say that Juri and Touga are probably well enough acquainted with the details of M. Dumas' novel to recognize the name. I would also like to assert that a gardenia could conceivably be mistaken for a rose, particularly if carved on some small surface (such as a ring) and only seen from a fair distance.

For reference, Monsieur (abbreviated M.)is used towards men. Madame (Mme) is used for married women. Mademoiselle (Mlle) is used for unmarried women. Or so I've been informed by my friends who take French (and my copy of _The Count of Monte Cristo_). It is not unusual to use M. with a title when the person one addresses has one (e.g. M. le Comte)…and Mlle may also be used with a first name (e.g. Mlle Valentine). De la Fère uses this because he is French and is a little too stiff-necked to lay aside his own usages for the universal 'san,' for which I've substituted the English Mr., Ms., or Mrs., when it comes up in dialogue. As for the question of how de la Fère speaks Japanese, please remember that this is Ohtori…rhyme and reason have little place here.

Please leave all comments, corrections, or flames in the Review Box. Lengthy or personal remarks should be addressed to reapermech@hotmail.com


	2. Milady

Chapter II: Milady

De la Fère's quarters were in a little used segment of the East Wing. Of twenty apartments on his hall, only one was occupied. At present, the contents of his bedroom consisted of a hard narrow bed, a teak nightstand, an ill-lit desk, and an empty bookshelf. Adjoining this chamber was a small closet and even smaller bathroom, albeit one with all the necessities. A heavy oak door separated this inner sanctum, as it were, from the main room. This was mostly filled with a large number of boxes and suitcases. A medium-sized refrigerator and a small stove took up one corner of this room. The entire apartment, except the bathroom and a few square yards surrounding the kitchen area, was carpeted in thick cerulean shag. Dark cherry paneling covered the walls.

The Frenchman returned rather late to this apartment as he had visited Vampa's office after leaving Juri to continue their discussion about late Medieval Italy. After an hour of dialogue that wandered over the entire map of Europe, the old professor had gently hinted that he was getting a little hungry. De la Fère excused himself and left the old man to dress for dinner. Upon entering his own apartment, he checked the refrigerator to find it empty but running. He wheeled a moderately large grey box to the kitchen corner and stocked the refrigerator with its contents: bottles of juice and soda, vegetables, a little meat and fish, and a whole duck that took up most of the freezer compartment. He pushed the box into the hall for the house staff to collect it in the morning. His parents had paid for the school to provide him groceries on a weekly basis, relying on a detailed profile of his tastes [1]

Two slightly smaller boxes contained a set of low shelves and cans of soup, mushrooms, and other foods. A third box held flour, salt, sugar, and an assortment of condiments. Pots, pans, ladles, and boxed silverware rattled as he stowed them in the oven. A straw-filled crate yielded an assortment of wines to match any meal–half a dozen bottles in all. He stowed these in a folding metal rack beside the refrigerator.

De la Fère towed the suitcases into the bedroom along with several boxes. He hanged several black uniforms in the closet, including one completely without ornament and another with epaulettes and much more braid. A small bag of medals clanked in its pocket. A number of more casual outfits remained stowed in a suitcase that he decided to use as a sort of dresser. Ovid, Virgil, Horace, Suetonius, Homer, Dumas, and dozens of other authors took their places in ordered ranks on the bookshelf [2]. Lamps for the desk and nightstand filled another box, as did his fencing outfit: uniform, foil, epee, and saber.

Finally, de la Fère set up a frail-seeming iron stand beside his bed. He gingerly opened a slender four-foot cardboard tube and drew out a gleaming rapier to reverently set it on the stand. The numerals XV shone in gilt letters an inch from the hilt in commemoration of the birthday on which he had received it. The green-enameled guard was wrought in the form of a half-dozen willow leaves curving from the base of the blade to the pommel. He flattened the cardboard boxes and threw them into the hall for the cleaning staff.

After setting his bedroom in order, de la Fère returned to the living room. Removing most of the boxes had revealed a round table surrounded by four matching chairs. A low sofa occupied the wall beside the bedroom door. He unpacked a modest stereo system and set a box of CDs beside it. At this point, his stomach loudly reminded him of the late hour.

In response to this rude reminder, de la Fère dug about a quarter pound of liver and a pair of red bell peppers out of the refrigerator. When sautéed, they made a passable meal with the addition of some bread, fava beans, and a glass of Chianti [3]. He set a little tongue to simmer overnight in the pressure cooker before retiring to begin his homework. A few slices of that, combined with a little cheese, watercress, and liver, made an excellent sandwich for the next day's lunch.

De la Fère sought out a tree to eat under the next day; he found a patriarch oak with a four-foot wide trunk and a leafy crown that seemed to sift the clouds. As he took the sandwich from his bag, a white-and-teal missile struck him in the ribs with a high-pitched squeal. The Frenchman maintained his grip on sandwich and life with a superhuman effort as the apparition squeezed his ribs until they threatened to snap.

'Wakaba! Let him go!  You can't talk to him if he's dead,' a girl's voice commanded as de la Fère's vision faded. His assailant instantly released him and he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. As the spots faded from his eyes, he stood slowly and asked gruffly, 'Who are you and what are you doing here?' 

The brown-haired, brown-eyed girl kneeling in from of him bowed and said, 'I wanted to congratulate you on winning your duel with Saionji yesterday. I made this for you.' She held out a black lacquered lunch box with a smile. Utena, who'd just saved de la Fère's life, sighed deeply at this fresh attempt on it [4].

The black-garbed young man coughed uneasily. 'Thank you…but I already have a lunch.' He brandished sandwich and thermos. Wakaba sniffed curiously at the sandwich.

'What is it?'

'Liver and tongue with cheese and a little watercress. And this is gazpacho soup.'

'Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!' Wakaba dashed behind Utena at the mention of liver. The springy lock of hair on her forehead could be seen quivering as it stuck out past the taller girl's jacket.

De la Fère appeared to take no notice of the girl's reaction to his choice of cuisine. He bowed deeply to Wakaba and said, 'Though you seem to know me through Mademoiselle Tenjou, I should still introduce myself: I am Edouard de la Fère. Thank you for the congratulations. However, they are unnecessary; I was only acting as honour required of me. I am curious, though, why would you rejoice at his defeat?'

The eternally cheerful brunette emerged from behind Utena and bowed in her turn. 'I'm Shinohara Wakaba; pleased to meet you. I…' She broke off and flushed when she tried to talk about Saionji.

Utena approached the Frenchman and whispered, 'He posted a love letter from her to a bulletin board for the whole school to read a few months ago. I challenged him over it; that's why I'm…engaged to Anthy now.' De la Fère's eyes flashed and his jaw set grimly when he heard this.

'Monsieur le Comte, you should have warned me that you would be attending the Academy this semester! I would have shown you around and introduced you to some friends of mine,' admonished a woman's voice in an accent almost identical to de la Fère's. It was a deeper voice than Utena's, though not so deep as to be mistaken for a man's. The young man blanched upon hearing her and breathed a single word so softly that he himself barely heard it: '_Merde__!_[5]_'_

The newcomer was a blonde who wore her hair in a single long braid wrapped around her temples [6]. Imperious green eyes glared around a slim, straight nose; her full crimson lips set in a firm line as she approached the three. Gold aiguillettes, buttons, and braid flashed on her blue uniform, which strongly resembled her compatriot's, though hers was trimmed in silver. Two rapier-embossed pips shone on her collar.

De la Fère's face transformed into an utterly immobile, neutral mask. He bowed to take the woman's hand and raise it to his lips. 'Milady. It's been too long since I've had the honour to be in your presence.' Turning to Utena and Wakaba, he said, 'Mademoiselle Tenjou, Mademoiselle Shinohara, this is Anne de Beuil, an old friend of mine [7].'

Anne bowed to the two girls, the sun glinting off her cat's-eye signet ring. Her sigil was a high-crested Roman helm. 'I'm honoured to meet you. If you will excuse us, we have not met in two years and we have much to discuss.' Once the two younger girls were out of earshot, Anne turned to her friend and declared coldly, 'We need to talk.'

De la Fère sighed and bowed his head. 'Yes, we do. But not now. The matters that lie between us are too grave to treat quickly or publicly. If you would do me the honour of dining with me, I have an excellent duck in my freezer.' He drew a small card from his pocket and quickly inscribed his hall and room number on it.

'Six o'clock tonight, then,' Anne said before she bowed and left. De la Fère let out his breath explosively and sat down heavily when she turned a corner and vanished from view. He ate his sandwich mechanically without tasting it and immediately sought the privacy of his rooms.

**************

A firm knock at the appointed hour started the Frenchman as he was setting the table. The promised duck was accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy, a basket of steaming rolls, and a mix of steamed vegetables. A bottle of wine and two glasses stood on the table.

'Welcome to my quarters, such as they are. Enter freely and of your own will [8],' de la Fère declared extravagantly and bowed his visitor in. Anne laughed more loudly than the moldy jest deserved and replied to de la Fère's inquiring eyebrows merely by pointing at him. He flushed and instantly tore off the scarlet apron he had been wearing over black T-shirt and slacks.

'Good sign of who will be keeping house when we're married,' noted Anne with a smile.

Her companion's face took on a more somber aspect, however, and he replied, 'That's one of the things we have to talk about.'

'Yes, it is,' the blonde replied stiffly. 'But not until we've eaten. I've had to live on my own cooking or the school's for the past two years.'

The two drank to each other's health before attacking the repast with the appetite of those who dread what is to come after the meal. About half way through the duck, Anne remarked, 'I see that you've made quite an impression on the middle school girls, Edouard. You've become a regular playboy, haven't you?'

'That's not it at all, Anne. They just wanted to congratulate me on defeating Saionji Kyouichi yesterday. He did something a few months ago to the brunette that forced Utena, the pink-haired one, challenge him to a duel.'

'I heard about that…something about a love letter on the school bulletin board. So you thought you could impress her by dueling the one who scorned her? An adroit move for you.' De la Fère made no reply, but instead rose to fetch a cake from the refrigerator. When he returned, Anne continued, 'With charm like that, no wonder you threw me over.'

The cake hit the table hard enough to bounce twice as the man took his seat. He rubbed his palm over his face before quietly saying, 'I never "threw you over," Anne. I just didn't want to tie you down when you left France If you'd met someone who made you happier than I could…who was I to stand in the way of that?'

'The one I love, that's who!' Edouard jumped at the vehemence in her voice as she slammed her empty glass on the table. 'We'd been engaged for six years, Edouard! Six years! And you threw it all away so you wouldn't "tie me down." Dammit, the only reason I even considered leaving was because I knew I'd be coming back to you. After that day…' She drew a deep shuddering breath to collect herself. 'After that…it was all I could do to hold myself together. I cried myself to sleep for two solid months.'

'I…I'm sorry. If I'd known…' Edouard reached for her hand, but she jerked away convulsively.

'That does not change the fact you abandoned me!' The blonde snatched up the bottle and instantly downed the rest of it. Edouard fetched a second bottle from the rack to fill his own glass. He pulled his seat beside his friend, ignoring her visible recoil from his presence.

'I suppose you could call it that.' He drained the glass at a single draught and continued, 'I was only fourteen at the time. The idea of spending the rest of my life with someone…it scared me, Anne.' Her face darkened and she half-rose before he laid a hand on her arm and hastily added, 'Don't get me wrong; you're a wonderful person: attractive, intelligent, funny, everything a man could want. But I just don't know if we're right for each other.'

'And you'd leave me all alone for that? When my mother died, my father threw himself completely into fencing. Our parents had just arranged the match between us…. My friends were sympathetic, but I was never all that close to them….and some of them kind of started drifting away after Mom died. You were the only one I had all those years. And then you abandoned me when my father decided to ship me halfway around the world!'

She threw herself on the Edouard in a storm of tears. When they subsided, he murmured, 'We're together again now. If you're willing to take me back…I'm yours.' Anne gave no answer in words but instead gave him a brief, passionate kiss on the lips. 

After they parted, she said calmly, 'I must be a mess. Do you mind if I use your bathroom to clean up?'

**Notes**: If I sound like an arrogant prick in these notes, it's probably because I am one.

1) At several points in the series, we see students cooking for themselves. I think it is not unreasonable for this type of arrangement to be provided for students at an expensive boarding school.

2) Ovid was a Roman poet who wrote the _Metamorphoses_, the _Art of Love_, and a number of other poems. Virgil is most famous for his _Aeneid_, but he did write other works. Horace was another poet…I haven't read anything by him yet. Suetonius is most famous for his _Lives of the Caesars_, a series of biographies of the Roman emperors through Domitian…it reads like a giant tabloid more than anything else. I wouldn't recommend it as your primary source of information on the emperors, but it's a good read. Homer wrote the _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_, of course; and Dumas wrote _The Three Musketeers_ and _The Count of Monte Cristo_, among a heap of plays and other novels.

3) If you don't get this reference, I will spare you the details. If you do, I assure you it's beef liver.

4) I'm not familiar enough with the series to really comment on Wakaba's cooking, but I have a feeling that she's not much better than Ranma ½'s Akana Tendo in the kitchen.

5) French word more or less equivalent to the English 'shit.' The French _Comte_ is generally translated 'Count.'

6) Think Kushana's first hairstyle from 'Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind'

7) There is a fatality in names. As Babylon 5 fans may have heard, the Minbari say that souls often gather to relive the great loves and to repair failed ones. I cannot say more than this without some serious spoilers for the novel I borrowed her name from. Incidentally, Anne is about a year older than Edouard…and her name is the full name of the character she's partly based on.

8) More specifically, the open-faced kind with long cheek guards that you see in movies all the time.

9) I'm sure you all recognize Dracula's greeting to Jonathan Harker when he first arrives at Castle Dracula.

Leave any comments, questions, etc. in the Review box below. Please address personal or lengthy comments to reapermech@hotmail.com.

**To Reviewers: **I don't want to sound like a pompous ass, but I have a small request for you: Please try to spell words properly in your reviews. If I can't decipher it, the input is useless. Responses are organized by the site I received them on. If you don't want my response to be public, please include an email address with your review.

**Fanfiction.net:**

 Pleas countinue (sic)-I am flattered, but I am only a mortal, not a god. And this fic is just a few pages of text stored on a server somewhere. It is not divine either.


	3. Rain

I'm sure you've noticed, but the numbers in brackets refer to notes at the end of the chapter.

Chapter III: Rain  
De la Fère woke to find his right knee throbbing with pain. Supporting himself on his cane, he hobbled to the window to confirm the joint's prediction: torrential rain poured past the glass and soaked the gardens beyond. Fortunately, the shortest route to his class was almost entirely indoors. The Frenchman ate a light breakfast and packed his lunch before changing into his black uniform. He took up his bag and limped off to class muttering sourly about the 'madwoman' who'd injured him years ago.  
He saw Juri as he approached an intersection of two halls. The orange-haired captain saluted him and said, 'I thought you would be joining us at the fencing club yesterday.'  
'I met an old friend who also happens to attend this school. We haven't seen each other for two years, so we spent most of the afternoon catching up. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend today's meeting, either.' De la Fère tapped his leg with his cane.  
'Did you hurt yourself yesterday?'  
'No; it's an old injury that pains me when it rains, that's all.' The Frenchman refused to elaborate on how the injury had occurred and the two parted ways at the next intersesction.

The rain was even harder at noon, prohibiting eating in the open. Instead, de la Fere found a sheltered spot on one of the arched hallways near his classroom. The arches opened on a small grassy quad, and a cool breeze carried the faint scent of roses. Anne found him there a few minutes after he'd sat down. As she seated herself beside him, she asked, 'How's your leg?'  
'The same as it's been every rainy day for the past two years. It hurts.'  
The girl coloured and tried to change the subject. Her eyes fell on the pip at Edouard's throat. 'I see you've won the Provincials for the 13-18 age group.'  
'Only because you weren't competing. I would have two if my leg hadn't kept me from entering the year you left. I believe this year's tournament begins next month. No doubt some student of your school or mine will win.'  
Anne turned away for a moment when her friend mentioned his injury again. 'I…I'm sorry about that. I can't believe it still hurts after all this time.'  
'Don't apologize. I'm sure that what I did to you hurt just as much and just as long.'  
Tear-filled green eyes closed at the memories. After a moment, the blonde said, 'It did. But you're with me now, and that helps the pain a little.'  
The young man smiled sadly. 'But that pain will never be completely gone. It's the same way with my leg: the pain was much worse the winter after I broke it [1].' Edouard wrapped one arm around Anne's shoulders. She stiffened, but only for a moment before sliding her head closer to him.  
'This reminds me of the time we climbed the spire of St. Croix. We'd stopped to rest in one of those arches when it started raining [2]. We stayed up there all day until the rain stopped. Do you remember the look on our parents' faces when we got home?' The two smiled at each other and Edouard commented, 'You were, what? Fourteen at the time?'  
Anne nodded and he continued, 'I still can't believe we managed to get that high without falling. What do you think of climbing that bell tower some time?'  
'Are you crazy? Akio Ohtori, the school's Chairman lives in that tower! Most people don't take kindly to strangers climbing their walls, you know.'  
At that moment, the bell rang to signal and end to the lunch break. Edouard rose with Anne's help and said, 'I'll see you again at dinner tonight, won't I?'  
'Of course. You're the only one of my friends who can cook.' Anne left him with a peck on the cheek.  
'Excuse me; who's the blonde you were talking with?' asked a boy's high-pitched voice from behind de la Fère once the young woman was out of earshot. De la Fère recognized him as the lackey to another blonde he'd seen on campus. She wore a uniform similar to Anne's, but in a rather nauseous yellow.  
'An old friend of mine from France. Why does your mistress wish to know who I speak to?' The Frenchman held the boy's eyes with a cold gaze that brooked no evasion.  
The lackey squirmed under this interrogation and at length stammered, 'Ah…she's seen that blonde around and wondered who she was, but no one seemed to know. Then I saw you with her and thought you would know.'  
De la Fère turned his back on the blonde boy and strode off to class, saying, 'Tell your mistress that if she wishes to ask anything of me, she may do so in person.'  
Once the Frenchman was out of sight, a yellow-clad young woman stepped out of the shadows at the far end of the colonnade. A silver ring set with a ruby rose glinted in the light. Imperious grey eyes glared at the young boy.  
'Well, what did she say?' the sharp-faced blonde demanded of her lackey, who repeated the message with great trepidation as his mistress' face darkened with every word. 'So he thinks he's too good to give you an answer. I'll teach him to treat my messenger with the respect he deserves!'  
'But, Miss Nanami….' The blonde cut short the boy's protest with a sharp gesture.  
'Watch them for me. There can be only one blonde at Ohtori.'  
'Yes, Miss Nanami.' She strode off, humming softly to herself. The boy sat down opposite de la Fère's classroom and pulled a small black book from his pocket. 'Let's see…wake-up call at 7:15, breakfast until eight. I need to work in some time to…'

Anne's firm knock resounded through Edouard's apartment as the clock struck half past six. He opened the door to admit the blonde, who bore a small box in her hands. He asked, 'Is that for me?'  
In reply, she opened the box to reveal a polished wooden plaque with the title 'Le Bastion St. Gervais' branded on it [3]. 'It's for your door.'  
'I'll never be free of that book, will I?'  
'Not if I have anything to do with it.'  
'We can put that up later. The food's getting cold.'  
The two ate slowly, spicing the plain fare with reminiscences of other days. Embarrassing stories flew as the two friends tried to one-up each other. The consequences of wearing a miniskirt on a windy day gave way to those of interrupting a slumber party. Edouard admitted defeat when Anne recounted that tale. Changing the subject, he asked, 'By the way, what do you think of the fencing club here?'  
She snorted. 'Half of them barely know which end of the foil to hold. They just show up to drool over the Captain. The other half are barely worth fencing against. There are a few with talent, though: Kaoru Miki and Arisugawa Juri are the best of them. Tenjou Utena shows up now and again…she's good, but she needs discipline. I usually go once or twice a week for practice. I beat a few people, then lose to Juri before leaving. Most of their meetings consist of people losing to Juri.'  
'Sounds boring. Maybe we could liven it up a little.' Just how he proposed to do this was lost as the great bells pealed. A few moments later, a brilliant light flared in the window. Anne poured herself another glass of wine and commented, 'It seems another challenger for the Rose Bride has fallen to Mademoiselle Tenjou.' At her companion's inquiring glance, she elaborated, 'That's what the rumours say, at least. You've met the Student Council, haven't you? I've heard that they duel her now and then for the poor girl. Before Mademoiselle Tenjou showed up, the Rose Bride was passed around the Council every few months.'  
Edouard shrugged. 'That's no affair of ours. We have our own problems to deal with.'  
'Speaking of that, are you doing anything this weekend?'  
'No…do you have anything in mind?'  
'There's a theater a few blocks from the school with a little Chinese restaurant next door. I've eaten there a couple times–' She was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. Edouard opened it to find the young boy from earlier holding a sealed envelope addressed 'To the French Blonde.'  
Anne took the letter and broke the yellow rose on the flap with her thumb. Heavily scented vine-bordered paper held the following childish scrawl:  
_I challenge you for the right of being the sole blonde at Ohtori Academy. Meet me at the Dueling Arena behind the school at noon tomorrow.  
__Kiryuu Nanami _

'You wrote this for her, didn't you? That ditz couldn't have come up with two sentences this long if her life depended on it.'  
The boy coloured and coughed. 'That's her own handwriting. I did help her pick the words, though.'  
'Tell you mistress that I'll be in the Arena at noon. We will duel with swords.' Anne closed the door behind the boy after he bowed himself out. Turning to her companion, she asked, 'Edouard, I don't suppose you have a sword I can borrow?'  
The Frenchman vanished into the bedroom without a word and returned a moment later carrying his green-hilted rapier and a plain leather baldric. 'Take this in memory of what we had and in token of what may come.' He looped the baldric over her shoulders with the sword hanging at her left hip. 'How all you lack is a plumed hat.'  
'I can't take this. What will you do if you ever get into another duel?'  
A thin smile graced Edouard's lips as he replied, 'I don't intend to be in a second duel. However, I have other weapons.' He accompanied this last remark with a significant swing of his cane.  
'I don't think a stick will help much in a duel.' The smile only deepened. 'It may be enough against the younger Kiryuu, though. I've never heard that she ever possessed the Rose Bride. In fact, I think she duels more in imitation of her brother than anything else.' The bells struck nine, and Anne bowed to her host. 'I should get back to my room to try this sword out. Good night, Edouard.'

The next day dawned clear and cloudless, though cool from the rain. Word of the challenge had somehow gotten out, albeit in a very incomplete form–de la Fère overhead more than one girl state that the two women were dueling over him. Needless to say, he quashed that rumour ruthlessly. One girl maintained that the two were dueling to determine which of them deserved the right to be the only blonde of Ohtori; no one paid her any mind.  
As de la Fère took his seat, the boy in front of him turned to ask, 'Say, you're French too, aren't you? Do you know the girl that Kiryuu Nanami's dueling today?'  
'She's an old friend of mine. I shall be her second today.'  
'Do you know why they're dueling?' a petite redhead asked with a blush.  
'The challenge said something to the effect of "Stay away from my brother!" I would assume that Monsieur Kiryuu is involved somehow.' The redhead's hand fell heavily on the desk as her breath came in quick shallow gasps.  
'She'd go that far…to keep…competition away?' The rest of the class laughed boisterously; de la Fère took the redhead by the hand and whispered,  
'I apologize if the jest hurt you in any way. Mademoiselle Kiryuu actually challenged my friend out of jealousy at the discovery that another blonde attends this school. She seems to have the idea that the Academy can only have one blonde female student at one time.' The redhead burst out laughing at this fresh evidence of Nanami's foolishness.  
'Ahem. While I'm sure that Mr. de la Fère has a brilliant career as a comedian in his future, I know that at least some of you are interested in the college entrance exams. If you want to be prepared for them, take your seats and allow me to take roll.' Asako Genjo's caustic comment cut through the laughter and the students slowly drifted back to their proper seats.

The morning classes passed much as the last two had for de la Fère, dull and tedious except for Vampa's history class. A few minutes after the chemistry teacher had left the room, the Frenchman followed suit. He met Anne in one of the small squares scattered about campus. She greeted him warmly and said, 'According to rumour, the Dueling Arena is in the forest at the back of the school. They say that only members of the Student Council–and Tenjou Utena and Himemiya Anthy–can enter, so I'm not sure how we're supposed to get in.'  
Guided by rumour, the two friends approached the shadowed wood. A stone gate bearing the ubiquitous Rose ensign barred their way about twenty paces in. Kiryuu Nanami and her blonde lackey stood waiting for them beside the gate. Neither bore a sword or any other weapon. When Anne remarked on this, the younger blonde replied haughtily, 'That will be taken care of once we're in the Arena. Follow me.'  
Nanami touched her rose signet ring to the gate; the portal slid open to reveal a broad lane marching towards a steel gate. Stately oaks lined the path, concealing what lay beyond the far gate. Moist green moss yielded underfoot as the small party strode down the path. Anne halted several paces from the second gate and gaped at what seemed to be a broad platform floating amidst the clouds. A closer look revealed a slender slanting stem connecting the Arena to the earth. Nanami pulled her impatiently to the gate.  
This second portal parted at the touch of Nanami's ring as had the first. A broad staircase spiraled upwards to their right, twining about the stem's open metal grillwork. Nanami laid her hand on a rose-engraved plate opposite the gate. The grille slid open to reveal what seemed to be a small elevator. None of the four gave any sign of unease over the impending duel as they rode up.  
The elevator opened on a great round plaza surrounded by a low crenellated parapet. Gleaming marble paved the Arena, with a gigantic crimson rose in the center. Nanami motioned for de la Fère and de Beuil to take their places at the far side and asked, 'Do you know how we duel here?'  
De la Fère bowed slightly. 'I do, and I shall instruct my friend while you prepare yourself, Mademoiselle Kiryuu.'  
A low table stood at the far side of the Arena, holding a rainbow of short-stemmed roses. De la Fère set their bags down under the table and fixed a crimson rose in de Beuil's breast pocket, saying, 'Victory goes to the one who removes her opponent's rose. There's no need to kill her…unless you feel like it, of course.'  
Anne grunted and drew her sword. 'She's irritating, but I have no desire to shed blood. It will be enough if she gives up this ridiculous idea that there can be only one blonde at this school.'  
While this conference was going on, Nanami had her lackey affix a yellow rose to her jacket. When he was finished, she called out, 'When I win this duel, you will leave this school forever, pretender!'  
De Beuil silently saluted her opponent and stepped away from de la Fère. Nanami bent her lackey backwards over her arm and a brilliant light flared from his chest. His mistress pulled a plain rapier from the light and stepped forward to face the Frenchwoman. The guard consisted of a simple ring and swept quillions.  
A great bell below tolled the first of twelve beats. Nanami charged forward, lunging for de Beuil's rose. The older woman spun aside, sword flashing in the sun. As she turned to face de Beuil, Nanami's aiguillettes parted into a series of frayed tassels at her shoulder. The older blonde stood casually on guard, seemingly indifferent to her foe's discomfiture.  
De Bueil effortlessly parried a series of thrusts and flicked off one of Nanami's buttons. Infuriated at being toyed with, Nanami flew at the older woman, slashing wildly. Their blades met at the hilt and the two duelists strove to drive the other back. De Beuil proved the stronger and threw Nanami to the ground. She cut the yellow rose free with a flip of her sword.  
'Miss Nanami!' The tow-headed boy ran to his mistress' side and helped her to sit up. She cried inconsolably as the consequences of her loss sank in.  
The elevator door clanked open to admit Kiryuu Touga and his inseparable green-haired companion. The latter favoured de la Fère with a cold, flat stare, to which the latter returned only a polite nod of the head. 'Nanami, you know better than to use the Dueling Arena for personal reasons. I'm sorry, Miss….'  
'De Beuil.' Kiryuu acknowledged the name with a smile and a deep bow  
'I'm sorry about this, Miss de Beuil. My sister can be…impetuous at times. I hope you are not hurt?'  
'Don't make me leave the school!' Nanami screamed.  
'You don't have to leave. Just use this for a week and don't challenge me again.' De Beuil pulled a small brown bottle from her bag and threw it to the other blonde. Nanami wiped her eyes with her sleeve and read the label with no small shock.  
As the elevator door closed behind them, Edouard noted, 'Monsieur Kiryuu seems quite taken with you from the way he stared.'  
Anne snorted. 'I'm not interested in him. I have you, after all. Besides, _Omnium mulierum vir est.'  
__'Etne omnium virorum mulier?_[4]' Her companion cocked an eyebrow and finished the ancient slander.  
'If you believe all the rumours, yes. And even if he isn't, I do not intend to share a man with anyone.'

Ohtori buzzed the next day with news of a strange change in the Student Council President's sister. Though she retained her customary hauteur (except when de Beuil or de la Fère was mentioned) and yellow uniform, her hair had become the darkest raven black. Her lackey refused to comment and those who asked Nanami were rudely rebuffed with screams and blows. A few who saw some connexion between this event and her rumoured duel with Anne de Beui applied to that lady and her countryman. The two merely smiled and replied, 'It is a matter of honour; I can say no more.'

Notes: 

1) I'm sure you can draw parallels between Anne's tears and the rain; and between the pain of her heart and the pain of Edouard's leg. The plain and simple fact, however, is that she was pissed about the break-up and broke his knee.

2) The cathedral in Orleans is named St. Croix. If you do a Google image search of that name, you will notice that the towers of this cathedral have a tier of arches just above roof level.

3) After a famous incident in _The Three Musketeers_ where the four friends (along with one of their lackeys and a dozen dead men) held that bastion against an army for somewhat over an hour. It was the result of a bet with four other soldiers in the army besieging La Rochelle.

4) The Latin translates as 'He is every woman's man.' 'And every man's woman?' It's a freely mangled version of the famous tag applied to Julius Caesar. Appropriate for Touga, if you think about it.

**General:** For those of you keeping track, Anne has been at Ohtori for two years now. You may object that Nanami had to have noticed her at some point. I would point out that it took her quite some time to notice her metamorphosis into a cow in one episode.

If anyone has a better candidate for the person Nanami pulls her sword from, please tell me. I suppose Touga is a good choice, but I don't think he would approve of this duel.


	4. Ball and Requiem

Chapter IV: Ball and Requiem

'As most of you are aware, there will be a masquerade ball in the Grand Hall in two weeks. If you wish to attend in period dress–any period, as long as the costume is European–I have a number of books that you are welcome to consult.' Vampa bowed and took his leave of the class.

'Diavolo!' The ancient Italian reopened the door with an oath to free his pants leg. As the class waited for the next teacher, the room buzzed with costume suggestions and questions about who was going with whom. One young man sat aloof, gazing out the window.

De la Fère's cool manner and touchy sense of honour had won him no friends during his first month at Ohtori, but had rather earned him the wary respect given to vipers. He and de Beuil attended the fencing club's meetings twice or thrice a week; and had earned a reputation as second only to Juri herself, though de la Fère had lost a few matches to Miki and de Beuil. The class's murmuring subsided as the door opened and the chemistry teacher entered to deliver a dry lecture on solubilities. About half the class was asleep by the time he left.

'What are you going as?' Anne asked Edouard. The two were leaning on a windowsill, watching younger students come and go in the small courtyard below.

'I haven't decided yet. But I'm definitely not going as a Musketeer–I've worn that costume too many times.'

'But it looks good on you. If you don't mind wearing armour, we could go as a pair of knights.'

'We have two weeks to get ready, Anne. Where are we going to find armour and a pair of broadswords?'

'I already have a suit; I decided on my costume last semester. I'm sure that the person I bought it from can get a second suit ready in two weeks. As for broadswords, I don't think they'll let us bring weapons into the ball. Now we just need to choose blazons for our shields.'

At this moment, a girl looked up from painting her toenails, dark purple hair falling across her face for a moment. 'Say, I could go as a fox and you can be…a cat!'

Her companion turned away from the window to face the girl sitting on her bed. A thin gold chain glittered at her throat. 'Shiori, I told you: I'm not going, and certainly not as a cat. I'd look ridiculous with ears and a tail.'

The younger girl laughed and blew on her toes as she capped the bottle of nail polish. 'Come on, Juri. Live a little; you won't have many chances to dress up like this once you graduate, you know.'

'I know. It's just…I don't feel comfortable wearing anything other than my uniform and fencing outfit.' The fencer unconsciously fingered the aiguillettes on the jacket slung over a chair.

'Please? For me?' Juri slowly sat down on the bed and essayed a small smile.

'I'd do anything for you. I might as well live while I'm still young.'

The ball was held in a cavernous hall, vast enough to easily accommodate the entire student body, from first to twelfth grade, though only high school students and a handful of middle schoolers attended. Potted palms stood in stately rows under tall windows behind long tables bearing every type of refreshment on either side of the hall. Tuxedo-clad waiters unobtrusively replenished these as necessary. A series of triple-decked crystal chandeliers gave light to the gathering and a small orchestra played at the foot of the grand staircase opposite the door. Despite the early hour–the bells had just struck half past eight–the hall was abuzz with conversation as guests awaited the first dance.

Conspicuous among the flamingoes, cats, and pirates was a couple encased in steel. Heavy cuirasses with shining cuisses and stout greaves protected the body and legs. Vambrace and rerebrace shielded the arms, with sturdy pauldrons at the shoulder. The suits were forged in a German style: the ends of plates were formed into points, and the plates were fluted with gilt edges. Both wore high, domed armets with visors down. The two were unarmed, not even bearing shields; small ailettes displayed their devices at the shoulder. One had a white gardenia on a crimson field; the other bore a red-crested Roman helm on gold and black stripes. The former wore steel shoes, while the other had chosen leather [1].

In reality, the armour was lightweight aluminum rather than steel; but it was no less imposing for the choice of material. The Knight of the Helm asked turned to her companion and asked in a woman's voice, 'Why did you insist on sabotons?'

'I've danced with you before, Anne,' came the reply.

The woman's retort died in her throat as a general hush fell across the room: Utena and Anthy had arrived. The two descended either side of the grand staircase and met in the center above the steps leading down to the dance floor. They bowed to the assembly as though they were the hosts, which was true in a way as Anthy was sister to Ohtori Akio. The Rose Bride wore a full, flowing crimson gown with a green gem holding the high collar closed. Full, almost puffy sleeves were slashed at the shoulder to show the green shirt beneath. Her hair trailed almost to the floor, forming a second train; a slim tiara sparkled in those violet locks beneath the chandeliers.

The Rose Bride's companion was arrayed in an almost military fashion: heavily starched navy blue pants with silver trim and a long, richly embroidered coat of the same colour. Silver and gold threads picked out a vine trailing from neck to waist, with a single cerulean flower on the left breast. It was balanced by a seven-pointed silver star with a crimson stone at its center. Her Rose Ring flashed at each step as the two descended the stair arm in arm. The students at the foot of the stairs parted to make way for the couple/

Anthy nodded to her right as she set foot on the floor and the orchestra instantly began a stately Tchaikovsky waltz. A titter ran around the hall as the two armoured figures bowed to each other and joined the dance. Those closest to them could hear an occasional clank as Anne trod on Edouard's feet. He made his way to one of the refreshment tables after the dance ended.

Saionji stood there in the storied dress of an English yeoman: a long Lincoln green tunic belted at the waist over matching tights. A leather thong threaded through holes held the tunic closed at the throat. A crimson feather stood tall in his high-peaked green hat. He sneered at the Frenchman's approach, but de la Fère spoke first: 'Good evening, Monsieur le Vice-president. The outfit of a forest bandit is quite becoming on you.'

The green-haired youth flushed and his hand darted to his hip, reaching for a sword that wasn't there. 'Are you so afraid of me that you must come armoured to a dance?'

'Kyouichi, where are you? Come on, the second dance is starting!' A brunette fairy with perky antennae and iridescent wings pulled the older boy from the table as the orchestra began a lively rag. He glared one last time at de la Fère before turning his attention to his date.

As they danced, Anne asked Edouard, 'Have you seen Juri around? She said she was coming at the last fencing club meeting.'

'She's probably just coming late. You know how it can be with costumes sometimes.'

Juri did not arrive in time for the third or even the fourth dance. However, and altercation at the door could be heard shortly after the bells tolled nine thirty. A number of guests imagined that they could hear Juri among the voices involved. A few minutes later, Kiryuu Touga entered in a foul temper. And lone–unusual for the playboy. One cheek bore a red mark shaped not unlike a hand. His hair, arranged to form a lion's mane to compliment his costume, was askew, but he bore no other mark of violence. Of the woman, or women, whose voices were heard during the quarrel at the door, no sign was seen.

The manner of Touga's arrival, and his mood thereafter, dampened the atmosphere considerably. The fifth dance was half-hearted at best and several guests quietly slipped away afterwards. Anne and Edouard remained, however, as the sixth number was one of their favourites. They took up stations by the now-empty refreshments table nearest the orchestra and awaited the beginning of a Strauss waltz. Halfway through the piece a somber Vampa entered the hall carrying a small note. He delivered this to de la Fère, saying, 'I'm sorry for your loss. If there's anything you need, just ask.'

The Frenchman read the note slowly through his visor; the helm hid any trace of emotion that he may have shown. When he was done, he passed the note to de Beuil and asked of Vampa, 'There is a chapel on campus, is there not? I would like to hold a small requiem service there at the time the message gave.'

The old Italian nodded and took de la Fère by the arm. 'I'll arrange everything. An old friend of mine happens to be in town–he is a priest who might be willing to do that.'

'Thank you.' Edouard bowed deeply to his teacher and the three left silently. A few feet from the door, the glint of gold caught his eye. A small locket had been thrown into the bushes beside the path. The chain was broken.

De la Fère was absent from class the next day, but even the normally acerbic math teacher did no more than state that he may be out for several days due to 'family business.' Vampa wore black and his lecture was much more subdued than usual. When classes ended for the day, the redhead in the class sought out the Frenchman to see if he was well.

She found him on a balcony overlooking a small garden just coming into bloom. Upon hearing her footsteps, he remarked, 'Life goes on,' without turning his head.

She instantly halted. 'What do you mean?'

'Everything leaves the world eventually: plants, beasts, birds, men, women, nations, even mountains and oceans. But life goes on.' De la Fère gave no sign that he was aware that he was not alone, but instead continued his melancholy musings. 'He's gone now…but I have to carry one. Tradition can be so heavy at times.'

'What tradition? Who's gone?'

The Frenchman whirled to face the redhead. His black uniform was devoid of all decoration or colour–even the buttons were black. See from the front, his hair was wild and his mien drawn. Puffy eyes and faint trails of salt on his cheeks bore mute testimony to a night of tears. He explained in his dead voice, 'My brother was struck by a drunk driver while walking home from a theater. The funeral is set for four PM Orleans time Saturday.' De la Fère wiped his face on his sleeve and demanded, 'Why are you here? You didn't come here to watch me cry. I have no tears left if you did.'

'I…I'm sorry about your brother. You weren't in class today and I thought you might be sick.'

'Thank you for your concern, but I'm well enough. In body, at least.' He essayed a faint smile before turning back to his contemplation of the garden. 'Please, let me be alone for a time. And don't tell anyone what I've said to you. There are some at this school who would not respect my grief.'

The redhead turned to leave–she knew the rumours about his feud with Saionji–but stopped at the threshold. 'By the way, Arisugawa Juri has resigned from the Student Council. I heard she had a falling out with Kiryuu Touga and no longer wears the Rose Ring.'

A peculiar hunching of the shoulder and neck that may have been either nod or shrug was the only acknowledgement she received.

The Ohtori chapel was a small stone building that stood at the verge of the forest behind the school. The great bells had just tolled half past eleven when four figures rounded a curve in the path leading to the chapel. A crescent moon hung in the sky beside a line of stars that gave it the appearance of a sickle. The pale light reflected from three heads: two silver and one gold. The fourth member of the party followed a pace of so behind the other three, supporting himself on a cane. Of the two older men, both wore their hair cropped short; one wore the black cassock and Roman collar of a priest while the other was clad in the leather-elbowed tweed of a professor. The priest carried a small bag at his side. The blonde was a young woman, clad in a somber and very modest black dress. The young man with the cane also wore black and the air of mourning hung heavily on him.

As the small party approached the tile-roofed chapel, the professor pulled a large old-fashioned key from his pocket. The dark oak doors swung open silently after he turned the key. The interior was unlit, as the chapel was seldom used at any time, much less midnight. However, the floor, the half dozen pews, and the altar were well-swept and spotless. After lighting a pair of candles on the altar, Father Pastrini retreated into a small side-room to don the vestments he had brought in his bag. As he opened the door, de la Fère caught his arm and said, '_Te ago gratias, Pater_…I thank you, Father, for agreeing to do this for me. I know that this is not the most convenient time or place to do your most solemn duty.'

The priest clasped the young man by the arms and replied gently in the same tongue, 'Luigi explained everything. I understand why you want this service to coincide with the one in Orleans. You will be with your family in spirit tonight though your bodies are many leagues apart. Now go, and make yourself ready even as I prepare for the service.' As the door closed behind him, the priest added, 'I know French [2].'

Father Pastrini re-entered the main room just as the bells tolled midnight. He began the service after the last peal died away.

_Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis._

_Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, et tibi reddetur_

_votum in Jerusalem: exaudi orationem meam, ad_

_te omnis caro veniet. _

_Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis._

_Kyrie eleison._

_Christe eleison._

_Kyrie eleison…. [3]_

After the priest had changed back to his cassock after the service, the four returned to the school gates to see Father Pastrini off. Saionji happened by as the priest opened his car door.  His sword hung loosely at his side. 'What are you doing out here at this hour, de la Fère?'

'Nothing that concerns you, Monsieur. If you do not let us go in peace, I swear by–' The Frenchman half-raised his cane to attack the green-haired man before he recalled the occasion. He lowered it again with a shake of the head. 'I will not fight you tonight, but I must ask that you let us go unmolested.

'What is this, playing the coward now in front of your girl?' De la Fère's jaw tightened at this accusation and the cane quivered in his grasp. Father Pastrini laid a hand on his shoulder.

'He was with me, Signor. He needed…counseling in personal matters and my friend, Signor Vampa, kindly arranged for me to advise him [4].'

The professor added, 'Chairman Ohtori has given his approval to our meeting. He is most understanding in these personal matters.'

'Good night, then. I hope you use these old men's advice well,' Saionji snarled as he turned on his heel.

**Notes:**

1) Cuirass is a term for the breast- and backplates together; a Cuiss is armour for the thigh; Greaves protect the shins; Vambraces cover the forearm while Rerebraces defend the upper arm. An Armet is a particular type of helm, which encloses the entire head and is equipped with a visor…it's the stereotypical knight's helm. Ailettes are square or round plates worn at the shoulder; usually made of leather or a similar material, they probably served primarily to identify the wearer. Sabotons are the metal shoes usually associated with armours…I don't think they came with heels.

2) This conversation is in Latin…but my skill with the language is rather limited. The first few words _should_ mean 'I thank you, Father,' but I could be wrong. Since Edouard doesn't know Italian, this is the most convenient language for him to converse in with the priest.

3) This should be the text of the Catholic Missa pro defucta, the Mass for the Dead. If I'm mistaken, please tell me. I think the first line means something like 'Give them eternal rest, O Lord, and illuminate them with eternal light.' There are websites out there with full translations of the text. Here's one: class=MsoNormal 'margin-left:84.75pt;text-indent:-48.75pt;mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:list 84.75pt'>4) Signor is the Italian equivalent of 'Mr.' I think that these foreign honourifics lend a bit more colour to the characters than just using the ubiquitous 'san.'

Response to Reviewers 

Since the two of you bring up more or less the same issue, you get the same response:

I'm not too familiar with the beginning of the anime, having watched only the last season or so (long story), but this idea just kinda bugged me until I just had to write it. The timeline is a sort of mutant variant that I have my reasons for creating (I need Saionji around and Nanami as well for later). Any further strangeness I lay at the feet of 'It looked like a good idea at the time.' Incidentally, Shiori got into the Arena in one episode even though she had no Ring…same with Miki's sister. Anyway, if you thought that continuity, characterization, etc. is screwy now, just read this excerpt from a later chapter:

'Don't let those bastards get away!' Juri ordered as her small forced pursued Touga and Akio's party through the halls of Ohtori. The narrow stone corridor suddenly opened onto a long pier with two small ships drawn up on either side. The fleeing men jumped aboard the ship to the right, a two-masted vessel that was broader in the beam and had a deeper draft. A sharp tug on a rope unfurled the sails and Touga pushed off with a stout pole.

'Kyouichi! Jump aboard!' The green-haired youth ignored his friend's entreaty as de la Fère fell on him with rapier drawn. Saionji blocked his thrust and threw him down on the pier. He raised his katana for the killing blow and blood suddenly welled up in his mouth. Anne pulled her blade free of his ribs with a steely rasp. Touga's ship was well clear of the dock now.

'Dammit! They got away!' Juri roared as she emerged into the sun. What had once been a school surrounded by forest and field was now a single tower surrounded by several fathoms of water. This was the shape of Touga's new world.

'There's still another ship,' Miki pointed out.

'Can any of you sail?' Juri asked as the rest of her surviving followers straggled out.

'My family had a yacht we took out on the Loire in the summer,' Anne volunteered.

 Ruka spoke up. 'My father taught me to run a ship…he was lost at sea several years ago. Maybe we'll find him out there.'

'Alright…bring up as much food and water as we can fit into that thing and we'll go after those bastards.' The main kitchens had been lost to the Deluge, but the Chairman's tower had a well-stocked larder. Water was easy enough to obtain, but containers to hold it were not. Once the ship was loaded, de la Fère presented a bottle of champagne to Juri.

'I believe it is traditional to christen a ship with this. Will you do the honours?'

'I name this ship the _Rapier._ All hands, prepare to cast off and set sail!'

 Anthy tapped the orange-haired captain on the shoulder. 'Excuse me…do you mind if we come along? Utena's wound is less serious than we thought and she should be able to recover on her own.'

'Of course. She has her score to settle with your brother, after all.' Ruka carried the wounded Prince aboard and settled her in one of the two cabins. He claimed the other one for Juri and himself. Anne and Edouard took up quarters in the galley since he was the only cook among the small company.

I leave it to you to pick out what's actually in the story to come and what's just a bad joke on my part.


	5. The Return

Chapter V: The Return  
  
'Are you all right, Edouard? Your performance in class-all your classes-has suffered these past two weeks. The change is not much, but it is cause for worry.'  
'I...I'd be lying if I said I was, Monsieur Vampa. Anne is there for me, as I was there for her when she needed me years ago, but this sort of thing cannot be dealt with in a week or two.'  
'I know. If it's time you need-'  
'Thank you, but I do not think a leave of absence is a good idea with mid-terms coming up. I can deal with my grief here.' De la Fère refilled his cup from the squat porcelain teapot on the cluttered table between them. The two were seated in Vampa's office, almost swallowed by immense leather armchairs. The chamber was dimly lit by a handful of small lamps scattered among-and atop-the stacks of books that filled the room. A door half-concealed by massive bookshelves led to the professor's small kitchen and his living quarters upstairs.  
'You may be right, but I don't want you forcing yourself over this. It never does any good: you can only hold the grief in for so long and it will be stronger when it breaks out.' The aged Italian laid a papery hand on his student's knee. 'Better to grieve now, when you have friends to support you.'  
'Thank you for your concern, but I think that the worst is past.' The younger man caught a glimpse of the grandfather clock in one corner as he reached for one of the innumerable leather-bound volumes stacked beside him. 'Ah! Please excuse me if I seem rude, but I must leave. The fencing team's practice is almost over and Anne will be expecting dinner shortly. By the way, may I borrow this?'  
'By all means. It is a most excellent account of the Hundred Years' War, though I think it dwells too much on the military aspects while neglecting the political and economic issues surrounding the war [1].'  
'I am young: I can still find glory in the thought of battle and war. Allow me my illusions while I can still have them.'  
Vampa laughed. 'Very well, go with your dreams of glory; and may you never learn the truth of battle.'

'Edouard! What's for dinner?' The call reached the Frenchman as he stepped off the stairs leading to the teachers' quarters. Anne and a half dozen other fencers approached from the East Gym door.  
'Beef stew. But I can make Ramen if you'd rather have that.'  
'Stew's fine. How was your talk with the old man?' Anne wrapped one arm around her friend's neck as he joined the group. She seemed to favour her right leg.  
'The usual: discussing the private lives of people dead a hundred years and more. What happened to your leg?'  
The blonde grimaced. 'Juri. She's been more savage than usual ever since the masquerade ball two weeks ago. Asking her about it only makes it worse.'  
'That's because it's none of your business!' Juri snapped from the end of the column. She carried foil and helmet under one arm and a small duffel in the other.  
'Whatever it is, you can discuss it somewhere else. Make way.' The kendo team's green-haired captain appeared at the head of a dozen of his teammates.  
De la Fère tapped his cane against his boot. 'Monsieur Saionji, the hall is wide enough for you to pass comfortably. There is no need to order us around so rudely.'  
'Shut up, gaijin! It's bad enough we have to use the East Gym after you without receiving a lecture on manners [2].'  
'Is it his fault that rain drove the soccer team into the West Gym?' Juri asked overly politely. 'Tournament play begins on Saturday, after all.'  
Saionji made no reply but gestured peremptorily for his team to proceed to the gym. As he passed Juri, he hissed, 'Remember, Arisugawa, that I am your superior now that you are no longer on the Council.'  
Once the other team was out of earshot, she snorted. 'Council. As if we were ever anything more than End of the World's puppets.'  
'End of the World? You make that sound like someone's name,' Anne noted.  
'It's nothing important...I'm no longer one of them. No longer part of his plots.' The normally confident Captain seemed to be assuring herself that this was true.  
'You want to talk about this over a cup of something?'  
Juri jerked erect and bowed stiffly. 'Thank you, but I have other matters to attend to. Perhaps another time.'  
'She's upset about something. It seems to hinge on Monsieur Saionji, the Student Council, and this End of the World. What do you make of it, Anne?' De la Fère toyed with his cane as he stared at the Captain's retreating back.  
'Some of the Council have been overheard mentioning "End of the World," usually in connexion with the Duels. This may be connected to her resignation from the Council; and that seems to be related to whatever happened at the ball.' Anne shook her head. 'We can talk about this over dinner. Food and a cup of wine always wake my wits.'  
Dinner shed little light on Juri's behaviour and the conversation turned to the inevitable topic of two lovers who had known each other long enough [3]. 'This may be a little premature, but I have to know: will we ever be engaged again, like...before?'  
Edouard stared silently into his glass for a moment before answering. 'Actually, we always have been. What I said to you...I said in haste and confusion. I couldn't bring myself to go to our fathers and ask them to call the marriage off. And I couldn't face you again, not after what I'd said. By the time I was ready, you'd already left. But if you want to take me back, I am yours...as I've always been.'  
The blonde's first reaction was to throw her drink in his face. Her second was to sieze the young man and kiss him over the table. 'All those years! You could've written or called! And why didn't you tell me when you got here?' Anne threw her fiancé back into his seat.  
'I-I thought it would be better to go slowly, see if you still wanted anything to do with me. If you want me out of your life for deceiving you...I understand.'  
'Whatever gave you the idea that I'd want that? You're mine, now and forever.' The ferocity of that statement was tempered somewhat by the blush that accompanied Anne's next question: 'So, if we're still engaged, when do you want the wedding?'  
Edouard stammered as his mind raced wildly. 'W-W-We can't possibly get married while school is in session, and I don't think that most of our family would be willing to fly out here on a few days' notice. The earliest we could possibly have it would be this summer, I think. And even that is too early if you want a big ceremony and reception.'  
Anne laughed. 'We don't have to decide now. I just want you to start thinking about it. We can't remain fiancés forever, after all.' 

'Next!' Juri called impatiently as she scored another touch on the day's latest loser. Only a handful of fencers at Ohtori ever survived the first pass with her, but that did not dissuade the entire club from challenging her at every practice. Another mesh-masked figure in white stood forward with foil in guard position. This one stood taller than any of the other fencers; Juri did not remember anyone of that height at the last meeting.  
The two faced each other on the narrow strip and Miki gave the signal to start. Faster than the eye could follow, Juri lunged; the unknown deflected the thrust with a twist of his sword and stabbed at her shoulder. The Captain sprang back and the attack fell short. The two fencers eyed each other warily, seeking some opening, then lunged simultaneously. The newcomer twisted under Juri's blade and came up with his foil's point at her throat.  
'You've gotten better while I was gone, Juri.' He pulled off his helmet to reveal light blue hair flecked with silver framing a long, narrow face. Deep-set blue eyes flanked a high-bridged nose set amid prominent cheekbones and taut, thin lips. The nobility of his features was enhanced or marred-depending on the observer-by great pallor.  
'Welcome back, Captain Tsuchiya.' Juri pulled off her own helmet and saluted.  
'Captain?!' The question roared from a dozen throats.  
'This is Tsuchiya Ruka, the true Captain of the fencing club. I was appointed as Acting Captain while he was away.'  
'I've been recuperating from a protracted illness at a small hospital and spa on the Loire in France [4]. As part of my recovery, I studied at two fencing schools nearby; the masters of those schools are possibly the best swordsmen I've ever met. Juri, I've brought a gift for you. Miki, my bags!' The blue-haired boy brought forward two long leather cases. Ruka opened one to reveal a pair of gleaming rapiers. The name Arisugawa shone in gold script on one blade-Roman letters on one side, Japanese on the other. Orange enamel traced delicate vines on the basket-shaped handguard. Its blue-enameled twin bore the name Tsuchiya. Two leather baldrics were coiled in the top of the case.  
'I-They're beautiful, Ruka. This is too much.'  
'One of my instructors said that one could only advance so far with toy blades. At some point, one must take up true arms.' The two removed the swords and donned their baldrics. 'With your permission, Juri, I'd like to dismiss this meeting: we have many things to talk about, and it would be best to discuss them in private.'  
'You're the Captain; give whatever orders you want.' Even before the words were out of her mouth, the younger members had left silently bearing new gossip.  
'Sir, what about the other bag?' Miki inquired timidly.  
'Thank you for reminding me. It was given to me by one of my instructors to deliver to his son, who has recently enrolled at Ohtori.'  
Juri immediately thought of Edouard, who had mentioned that his family ran a fencing school in Orléans, and asked if the package was intended for him. Ruka replied, 'Yes, it is. Do you know where to find him?'  
'I'm here, Monsieur Tsuchiya. I've been awaiting this for some time; thank you for bringing.' The Frenchman bowed low to the Captain and opened the case to remove the sword within. It was slim, somewhat shorter than the other two due to his family's merely average height. The guard was a simple cup and bar, the blade's sole adornment the motto Fortis et Fidelis in bronze [5]. Edouard looped the swordbelt around his waist.  
'This was my brother's sword, and my father's before him. The eldest son of the de la Fères has borne it for as long as we've had our name. In duel and battle, it has served us with faith and strength. Again, I thank you for bringing it to me. I will leave you to your own affairs.'  
Ruka returned de la Fère's bow and spoke warmly. 'Your brother was a good man when I knew him, as is your father. And yours as well, Miss de Beuil.'  
'How did you recog-. Of course. Father must have shown you pictures of me while you were at our school. May I ask how you fared against them?'  
'Poorly. Even after the doctors had declared me cured, I only won one match against each of them.'  
The blonde laughed gently. 'Don't feel bad: the two of them were in the finals of every major tournament in Europe back in the Seventies [6]. Edouard, let's give these two some privacy.' The foreign couple left with Miki practically treading on their heels.  
Once the door shut behind them, Ruka turned to Juri and somberly pulled a small object from a pocket sewn into his vest. The red stone shone under the gym's fluorescent lights. 'This arrived for me in a letter the day before I left for Japan. I hope these blades never cross in the Arena.'  
'There's no need to fear that. I've quit the Duels.'  
'Quit? When? Why didn't you tell me?'  
'I quit about a month ago. Something happened that made me see the Duelists and Council for what they are and I wanted no part of it. I couldn't trust my decision or my reasons to phone or paper, not with him in charge. Please, I'd rather not talk about it now.' Juri turned away from her old friend.  
'I understand. But, please, remember that a burden is lighter when shared.'  
  
The great bells chimed ten 'til eleven as Anne and Edouard made their way back to the dormitories after a moonlit stroll in the gardens [7]. A taxi pulled up as they passed the gates. Two passengers got out, one leaning heavily on the other; moonlight reflected from white jackets and orange hair. As the cab drove off, the more alert passenger called out, 'Who goes there?'  
Anne ran up to him. 'Just us, Ruka. Is Juri with you?'  
'We went out for dinner and she...overindulged a bit.'  
The ex-Duelist murmured in protest, 'I'm not drunk! Just a bit tired.'  
'Let's get her inside before anyone else sees her like this. Edouard's rooms are closest, I think.'  
Due to the late hour, the four saw no one before the passed the door marked _Le Bastion St. Gervais_. They seated Juri at the table while Anne heated water for coffee. The kettle's whistle roused the orange-haired woman. She gazed in confusion around the room before her eyes fell on Edouard. She lifted a glass left over from dinner and ordered, 'Waiter, another glass of red!'  
Ruka whispered to the hesitant Frenchman, 'Play along. She'll take the bottle herself if you don't. We were forced to leave when she turned violent after the waiter refused to bring another drink.' The younger man nodded and fetched a full bottle from the rack.  
Juri drained the first cup in one gulp and repeated the performance twice before letting the glass touch the table. Her voice almost seemed sober when she asked, 'What do you think of two men-or women- loving one another?'  
'The Church frowns on it,' de la Fère began, 'but I...I have nothing against it personally.' Anne nodded agreement, as did Ruka, who added, 'Why do you ask?'  
'Because I'm about to tell you the story of a friend of mine-a friend, not me-who drove herself to distraction over another girl.  
'This happened in a small private school in my hometown, a school with the ceremonial Student Council every high school has. The President was a playboy who tried to sleep with every girl at the school; that's what the rumours say, at least. My friend was a fencer, a good one; she was my equal when I knew her. But that was years ago.' Juri paused to empty her glass again.  
Anne took the opportunity to ask how Juri knew this story if she'd last met her friend 'years ago.' The older woman shrugged. 'We still write to each other from time to time. But let's return to my friend's tale. Her Student Council was ruled by a playboy, as I said, and he often made passes at her. But my friend had fallen for another girl, maybe a year or so younger than her. To hear her tell it, that girl was a delicate little thing with the most wonderful hair...and a body to die for.' The ex-Duelist smiled almost ruefully.  
'My friend was heads over heels for her; she would've given the world for her, as the saying goes. She even let the girl talk her into attending a masquerade ball dressed as a cat. The other girl dressed as a fox and they agreed to meet outside the ballroom about half an hour after the dance started.  
'My friend arrived early and awaited her lover beside the door. Her costume was a glorious orange-and-crème tabby with perky ears and a silky tail. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then an hour. Her love, the fox, turned up as the clock chimed the end of that hour. With that playboy President on her arm!' Juri grabbed the bottle and drained it at a draught, collapsing across the table afterwards.  
She rose a few minutes later, whereupon Anne asked what her friend had done at the ball. The fencer replied in thickly slurred words, 'Nothing...at th' time. But if I ever get my hands on that bastard, he'll regret taking her from me.' Juri's hand rose to her throat, groping for a chain no longer there. Tears flowed freely down her face as she slid limp to the floor.  
As the three moved her to the couch, Anne murmured, 'Nec _fulvus aper media tam saevus in ira est._'  
Edouard nodded agreement while Ruka raised a questioning eyebrow. The blonde explained: 'It's part of a verse by Ovid about the savagery of jealous women. As the English put it, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned [9]."'  
Juri awoke the next morning with a terrible headache and begged her audience to disregard the tale of the night before, saying, 'I'm sorry if I lost control of my drinking. It just tasted so good, I couldn't stop. It may have made me say some strange things. I've heard that alcohol can do that to people.'  
  
Notes:  
  
1) The Hundred Years' war lasted off and on from 1337 to 1453. I don't know much about it except that it was between England and France, mostly fought in France, and that the French won that war. Also, Joan of Arc figured prominently in the latter stages of the war.  
2) As mentioned earlier, gaijin is a Japanese term for foreigner. Saionji may come off as just a bit racist here...but if you scratch deep enough on someone from the Far East, you'll find a nice ethnocentric fellow who thinks that his nation is the center of the world. Some of them even name their countries that.  
3) This is not to imply that they're sleeping together, merely that they love each other.   
4) The city of Orléans lies on the Loire River. Edouard and Anne are natives of that city .  
5) Fortis et Fidelis is the Latin for 'Strong and Loyal.' It, or a variation on the same words, is the motto of M. de Tréville, the Captain of the Musketeers in M. Dumas' novel.  
6) For the sake of argument, let's agree that this fic is set in the early Nineties...as much as time can be said to mean anything at Ohtori, especially this version of it. That puts the elder de la Fère and de Beuil in their early or mid forties at this time. Athos retains his skill with blade into his late forties or early fifties in Twenty Years After, and probably another ten years later in the final part of the Musketeer trilogy. Edmond Dantès from The Count of Monte Cristo is also a great swordsman and marksman into his forties.  
7) I know that it's odd for clock bells to chime at a time like that, but remember that Ohtori Academy is nothing if not eccentric. Besides, Jules Verne has Big Ben ring five 'til nine or some time like that at the end of Around the World in Eighty Days.  
8) I probably exaggerated Juri's capacity for alcohol just a bit. However, the incident that I've based this on had a storyteller who'd consumed the greater part of a cellar full of wine over the course of a week (and a bottle while telling the story). It seemed an effective way to reveal what's wrong with her.  
9) The quote is from Ovid's _Art of Love_. The first line, which Anne quoted, reads (loosely translated) 'Neither the red boar is so savage in his rage...' The rest lists a few famously savage animals-the lion suckling her young and the trodden snake-and says that their fury is nothing compared to a woman who finds a rival in her bed.  
  
General:  
I apologize for the long delay, but those of you who write fics yourselves have probably all felt the frustration of writer's block at some point. I hope this chapter isn't too disappointing.  
My handling of Edouard and Anne's relationship doesn't feel...satisfying to me. It just doesn't seem quite right. She's deeply, possessively in love with him; he's slightly more distant, but loves her as well. I don't think I'm bringing it out right. Any advice would be welcome.  
Ruka and Juri...the couple that never was. If you are a fan of the Juri-Shiori pairing, calm down and please don't flame me. I have my reasons for bringing these two together. Not least because I think that Ruka deserves a chance with the lady Shiori discarded. Also, Juri probably has a few suspicions about Akio, perhaps from scraps Touga let drop or from the Chairman's idiosyncrasies.  
About the spelling of Anne's surname: It's only mentioned once in the novel I obtained it from (the identity of that book should be obvious from the theme running throughout this fic); however, it seems to be spelled differently in each edition or translation I find. I've even seen it spelled _de Breuil_. So please don't come waving books at me saying that I spelled it wrong.  
And now for another 'preview' that may or may not have anything to do with the future course of this fic:

Thick fog surrounded the Rapier, veiling sea and land from its crew. Ruka ordered them to set the sea-anchor and wait for the fog to burn off. As they waited, he and Juri paced the deck, muttering, 'Where has this ship taken us now? So far we've landed on jungle islands, feudal kingdoms, and an Old West mining town.'  
Some hours later, the fog dispersed, revealing that they lay mere yards from a grey stone wharf. They moved the ship closer and tied her up. The buildings around the dock appeared to be of European construction, so Anne and Edouard were dispatched to investigate their new environs. Miki took out his violin to pass the time, but Ruka brusquely ordered him to stop after a few minutes.  
An hour later, the French couple returned and asked their companions to come ashore: they'd found someone who'd be able to help them find Akio and his followers. Though reluctant to leave their ship unattended, the five disembarked and followed. Strangely, none of the sailors walking along the dock so much as glanced at the slim new ship.  
After several turnings through the misty streets, the party found themselves facing a door marked '221B.' The woman who opened the door sent them upstairs, where they were greeted by a man fully as tall as Ruka. He wore a mouse-grey dressing gown and carried a pipe in his hand. His chambers were messy in the manner peculiar to bachelors with papers and tools scattered haphazardly. Several letters were pinned to the mantelpiece with a large knife.  
Their host bowed them in and gestured for the ladies to take the few seats available. He began by waving at Anne and Edouard. 'I can tell that these two are French, by their accent, physiognomy, and a number of other signs. However, you are a mystery to me. Your names, as they've reported them, seem to be Japanese in origin, but you do not resemble the natives of those islands. You are too tall, too pale, and your hair colours are either exceedingly rare or completely unique. Who are you?'  
Juri told their story, with frequent interruptions from their host asking for clarification or explanation. When she was done, he sat back with his pipe in his mouth. At length, he pronounced, 'This is the strangest case that has been ever brought before me. I might almost believe that you are actors hired by Watson to test me. But your story rings true. I will make what inquiries I can; return in a week and I will tell you what I have found. In the meantime, I would advise you to try to find employment; you may be staying here for quite some time.' 


End file.
